Auron Falls (re-write)
by Upir
Summary: Auron finally reaches the Farplane, but is suddenly torn away into an unfamiliar world. The woman he meets there wants to help him home, but where will he decide that is? Post FFX-2, eventually includes other characters. Re-written from Auron Falls - less fluff, no Sue, a bit different overall.
1. Falling

The fog surrounded him.

But he was warm.

The mist spraying his face was relaxing.

His body felt weightless.

_Do I have a body?_ he wondered.

He looked down at himself. He was opaque, which was confusing.

He had just died… why was he solid?

Pushing the thought from his mind, he looked around him.

He saw Braska, still young and dressed in a High Summoner's clothing.

And Jecht, with his long, unruly brown hair semi-tied with a red bandana.

And Tidus, his layered blonde hair and Blitzball clothing swaying in an invisible breeze.

He saw Tidus and Jecht high-five each other, father and son reunited after 10 years.

Smiling, he went to join them…

But something was wrong.

He felt weightless in a new way.

His feet fell out from underneath him, and suddenly he was plummeting down, down faster than he had ever fallen, and then just as quickly as it had started it was over. There was bright light, so luminous he was blinded for a moment. He collapsed onto a hard, unyielding terrain and shielded his eye from the overly-intense brightness. Auron suddenly heard a loud screech and felt something strike him. Hard. Suddenly everything was black.


	2. Who are you?

"Are you ok? Oh my God, oh my God."

Auron shifted uncomfortably on the hard ground, bringing a hand to his throbbing shoulder and blinking his one good eye as an unfamiliar, feminine shadow loomed over him.

"Sit still, I'm calling 9-1-1," the woman said.

Auron didn't move much besides shifting his head slightly to take in his surroundings. It was dark outside, and pleasantly warm. Whatever blinding light had struck him earlier was gone; he could see the stars overhead in the sky, and hear a cacophony of different insects chirping away in the grass. The ache in his shoulder was subsiding gradually and he tried to sit up. The woman bent over quickly and held one hand against him to keep him still, the other clutching tightly to a small black device.

"Don't move," she pleaded, "I'm calling an ambulance."

"A what?" he asked, but she suddenly stood and started talking very quickly into the object in her hand, turning her back to him after a minute or so. Losing patience, Auron righted himself with some effort and a grunt, noticing the woman had turned back around to watch him in alarm, putting the device away quickly. She went to hold him still again, but he tried to shrug her off. That was the wrong move apparently, as his shoulder suddenly screamed at him again in pain. He reached into his robe with his other arm, feeling around for a potion, but coming up empty-handed.

_Damn,_ he thought. The woman once again laid her hands on him, though this time she simply led him over to what looked like a large, boxy machina with wheels. She guided him gently into a sitting position on it, crossing her arms nervously as she watched him.

"Are you ok?" she asked again.

"I'm fine," he replied curtly.

"I'm so sorry, but you just – you just came out of _nowhere!_ Didn't anyone ever tell you to watch when you cross the street?"

"Street?" he asked, looking around him once more. He noticed they were standing on an oddly paved road in the middle of nowhere.

"Oh God, how hard did I hit you?" She put her hands to her temples in frustration, biting her lower lip nervously. "Do you remember your name?"

"Auron."

"Huh?"

"My name is Auron."

"Oh! I'm Leilani."

He grunted and they stood around awkwardly for a moment while she pulled the device back out from her pocket and gave it a glance.

"Ugh, it's almost midnight."

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Geary Street, in Rudens," she replied. "Not even 10 minutes from my house. Where are you from?"

"Spira," he said, after a moment's hesitation.

"Never heard of it."

"Zanarkand?"

"Uh, no." She scowled deeply in concern. "Should I... should I call someone for you? Do you have any family around here? I should let them know where you're going."

"My family..." he started, but suddenly clammed up, shaking his head.

"You don't have anyone?" she asked, probing gently.

He shook his head again.

"Do you have a wallet or something I can take a look at? See where you live or if you've got an emergency number or something?"

Auron shook his head in silence again. The girl bit down on her thumbnail in thought, studying him with curiosity. His clothes were strange, almost costume-like, not to mention his nearly gravity-defying hair spikes and his utter confusion. She noticed with a strange sort of interest that he was actually quite handsome, despite his apparent age and the long, deep scar that marred the right side of his face. She suddenly felt almost vulgar for examining him – she _had_ just hit him with her car, and now here she was, eying him up like a piece of meat while they waited for the ambulance.

The first thing Auron noticed about the woman was her age – she was young. Not that she was a child by any means – if he had to guess, she was likely in her mid-20s – but she still had an air of youthfulness about her that made him feel a little off when he noticed her fair features and the gentle way she walked. Her long brown hair curled softly halfway down her back, her dark eyes taking him in with mutual fascination. He looked away uncomfortably and she did the same, suddenly starting as she saw a large machina adorned with flashing lights in the distance.

"Wow, that was quick," she said with relief.

"What is that?" he asked roughly, his fingers edging carefully towards the sword under his robe.

"They'll take you to a hospital," she said, "Fix you up."

"Just give me a potion and I'll be fine," he growled, not wanting to be bothered by healers at the moment – he had much more pressing matters to attend to, like where was he, what was he doing there, and why hadn't he been able to stay in the Farplane? Sometimes it seemed like the world was just trying to torture him as long as possible. He sighed in resignation and went with the healers into the machina with flashing lights willingly, taking one last glance at the girl before the doors shut.

_Leilani,_ he reminded himself. _Her name was Leilani._


	3. At the Hospital

Leilani walked slowly through the sterile white halls and into the elevator, pressing the button for the eighth floor quickly and fiddling with the small gifts she was carrying.

_I don't know why I'm bothering,_ she thought with chagrin. _The guy's not going to just decide _not_ to sue me just because I brought him some cookies and flowers._

She moaned in turmoil – she suddenly felt out-of-place and strange for bothering to visit Auron in the hospital; she still couldn't get over the fact that she had almost run him over. Luckily, the police had already determined it really was an accident and she would not be receiving any charges, plus she thankfully had very good insurance that was covering his bills, but that didn't mean he couldn't still take her to court. Sighing, Leilani leaned against the cool metal wall of the elevator and closed her eyes. She was honestly surprised the medical staff had let her visit, though she supposed it was likely because they felt sorry for the poor man – even though he had already recovered fully from his minor injuries, they had put him on the eighth floor, which was the John / Jane Doe ward. She guessed they figured he needed visitors at this point, hoping someone would at least recognize him. A soft ding announced that she had arrived at the desired level and she stepped out nervously, fiddling once again with the small tokens she had brought.

"Hi, I'm here for Auron," she told the nurses at the desk, one of the men pointing her to room 10. "Thanks," she said, walking over quickly, shaking with nerves.

"Hey," called the nurse. Leilani turned around to face him. "Be careful," he warned, "That guy had a HUGE sword on him when he was admitted." He appeared to mull something over for a moment. "He's not very friendly, either."

Leilani nodded in acknowledgment and proceeded into the room, closing the door almost entirely behind her. Auron was laying there with his arms crossed, scowling and gazing out the window with his one good eye.

"Hey," she said softly. He whipped his head around and she noticed that his heart monitor blipped for a moment as she had startled him. "Sorry," she whispered, motioning to the screen. He shrugged in indifference and Leilani was glad to see his shoulder no longer seemed to bother him. She noticed he was taking in the presents she had brought with a curious glance.

"Oh!" she piped, setting the gifts onto the table beside him hurriedly. "Sorry, these are for you. I hope you're... not allergic or anything. That would be just perfect, wouldn't it?" She gave a little nervous titter.

"Thanks," he muttered, returning his gaze to the scene outside his window. Leilani wrung her hands, biting her lip as she turned to a chair and sat down beside him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. He grunted and gave another noncomittal shrug.

"Being treated ok?"

He ignored her.

"I heard you're not permanently injured. That's good."

Nothing.

"How's the food?"

"Awful," he finally replied.

"Well then here," she said, brightening a little and handing the box she had brought to him. "I made you some cookies. As a... as an apology."

He glanced at the package and raised his eyebrows. Leilani blushed furiously and looked back down at her hands.

"I know it... I know it doesn't take back what happened," she stumbled, "And I know my insurance is covering your bills... but... but I still felt like I... I should do something for you." She fell off and looked away, terrified and humiliated. Auron rolled his eye and opened the box, taking a cookie out and smelling it before taking a small bite. It was pretty good, and he hesitated for only a moment before scarfing down the rest of it and reaching for another. Leilani brightened and smiled expectantly.

"...Thanks," he said again between bites.

"No problem."

There was an awkward silence as he demolished the cookies she had brought him before she finally conceded that she wasn't going to get any more out of him in the way of conversation and decided to leave. She stood and held out a small piece of paper upon which she had written something. He took it and she explained, "That's my number. Call me if you need anything, ok?"

Auron examined it silently, furrowing his brow and glancing back up at her in confusion.

"Do you know how to work a phone?" she asked, stunned.

"I'm sure I can figure it out," he muttered, tossing the number aside, where it fluttered down to the ground as he began looking out the window once more. "Farewell," he said.

Leilani picked it up off the floor with an annoyed grunt and left the room. _I'm sure I'll be getting a call from a lawyer in a few days anyway,_ she thought bitterly, worry making her stomach churn unpleasantly. She was making her way towards the elevator again before the nurse stopped her with a shout.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Do you know that guy?" he questioned. Leilani shook her head.

"No, I'm just the idiot who hit him with my car." She sighed. "Why?"

"I figured that's who you were," he said, nearly whispering. "He needs to be released soon. But since there are no friends or family members, he could go to the state... but they want to stick him in a mental institution."

"So where do I come in?" Leilani asked, not sure she was following correctly.

"Nowhere, I just figured you'd want to know, since that means there's no way he'd be able to sue you," he said with a genuine smile.

Leilani felt sheer relief for a moment, but it was followed immediately by guilt and pity.

"Poor guy," she said. She looked back up at him. "Couldn't anyone just take him, as long as they say they're a friend?"

"Well yeah, but..." He suddenly eyed her suspiciously.

_Am I really going to do what I'm thinking of doing?_


	4. Leilani's home

Auron was quiet the entire ride back to Leilani's home.

_I'm dead. I died. Twice. Why am I here?_

He had considered every possibility he could – an alternate Farplane, a series of strange dreams, insanity, even perhaps a type of hell – but in the end, he resigned himself to the fact that it was pyrefly magic. Unpredictable and unknowable, pyreflies were capable of creating or being used for strong and unstable magic.

_Whatever reason they decided to put me here for must be a good one,_ Auron reasoned, though the thought gave him little comfort.

"We're here" she said, but as usual, Auron said nothing. He opened the door to her car and stepped out, examining her home. It was small compared to the other houses they had seen on the way here, but larger than most of the huts and metal hovels that served as shelter in Spira. Leilani held the door to her home open for him and he entered wordlessly. He examined the inside with bland curiosity – there were photos in frames along the walls, but the house had an otherwise somewhat spartan, yet comfortable décor. He walked through the living room and into the dining room, which had a large window that looked over a small backyard overgrown with a variety of flowers and trees and punctuated with a large pond. He made an unimpressed noise to himself and turned back to his hostess. She was gazing at him cautiously.

"Do you want to see where you'll be sleeping?"

He nodded and she escorted him to a nice bedroom with a plush bed, bookcases full of reading material, and a bedside table with a lamp. It was inviting enough, but Auron was suddenly curious.

"Where will you sleep?"

"I've got a cot in the next room over," she said flippantly, gesturing to a smaller bedroom that did indeed house just a small cot and a few pieces of furniture. It was obvious the room was seldomnly used.

"You don't have to give me the better accomodations," he said softly.

"You're my guest," she said, "Make yourself at home. But..." she suddenly stalled, biting her lip. "Could you possibly keep your sword... out of the way?"

Auron looked down at his hip and gripped his weapon.

"What if fiends attack?" he asked. While it was true he had not seen nor heard even the merest whisper of an enemy, he wanted to be prepared. He was always prepared.

"Umm... That's... not going to happen, ok?"

"Hmph." Auron tried to hand his sword over to Leilani, but when she tried to grab it she immediately dropped it. He made an annoyed noise and retrieved it, Leilani gesturing to a closet near the front door. Auron placed it within quietly as she examined him with the same curious gaze as always.

"What?" he growled, his patience wearing thin already. Although he was grateful for a place to stay, and she seemed pleasant enough, but he just wanted time alone to _think._

"Your sword's really heavy," she muttered lamely.

"Hmph."

"Why do you carry that thing around anyway?"

"What does it matter?"

"I'm admittedly a... little worried about you."

_Why should she care?_ he wondered, but said nothing, only giving her a sidelong glance. They stood in awkward silence before she sighed and retreated to a small kitchen. Auron entered "his" room and closed the door quietly, though not entirely, figuring she was likely observant enough to take the hint without his having to shut it all the way. He laid down on the bed and breathed deeply, dwelling on his situation and rolling the same thoughts over and over in his head that he had been over the past few days since he had arrived in this strange new world. But the air was warm and the bed was comfortable and it was only a matter of minutes before he drifted off to sleep, his last thought merely _This was probably a bad idea._


	5. Dinner and a discovery

He felt something soft graze his one bare hand, opening his eye immediately and jumping up in alarm, ready for a fight.

_A warrior's instinct never rests._

I was just putting a blanket on you!" Leilani cried, holding her chest and practically gasping.

"The door was shut," he said gruffly, returning to a more relaxed stance. He noticed with interest though that the air had gotten quite a bit cooler.

"No, it wasn't," she said defensively.

Auron said nothing for a moment. Leilani was already getting used to that. She caught her breath and stood, but did not remove her hand from her still-pounding heart.

"Well?" he asked.

"Well what?" she returned.

"What did you want?" he grumbled.

"Dinner's ready," she said, a trace of irritation in her voice.

He remained silent, but softened slightly and followed her to the dining room that overlooked her back yard. He noticed it was already dark outside. Suddenly the smell of cooked meat drifted into his nostrils and he realized just how hungry he was as his stomach gave a very audible growl. Leilani smirked and served him a plate of some kind of dark meat, white mush, and vegetables. He tried it tentatively and was relieved to find it much better than the foul meals they had served to him at the healing house. _Hospital,_ he corrected himself. If he was to stay in this world, he might as well accomdate to it. For now.

They ate their meal in silence, Auron's cutlery making harsh sounds against the glass plate while Leilani's, by some miracle, did not.

"So tell me about yourself," she began awkwardly.

"Not much to tell."

"How about where you came from? How you got here? Where you're going?"

"I told you where I came from the first night we met: Spira. If I knew how I got here, I would be able to get back home. If I knew how to get there, I wouldn't be here."

She sighed. He made another impatient "hmph" noise.

"You know, they were going to send you to a mental institution if I didn't take you in," she said conversationally, taking a bite of her dinner and avoiding eye contact.

This surprised Auron at first. It wasn't the idea of being thought a lunatic that was so unbelievable; the people at the hospital did not keep their opinions on his mental state a secret – no, what was so startling was that Leilani had just suggested she had taken him in out of _choice._

"I thought they released me to your care because you had struck me," he suggested carefully.

"No."

"Then why did you visit me?" This, too, was confusing.

"I... I felt I had to make it up to you," she said, putting her fork down and looking into her lap.

"I don't appreciate being lied to," he said, anger lining his tone slightly.

"I'm not lying!" Leilani suddenly snapped, finally looking back up at him. She blushed at her sudden outburst, but continued. "I really did feel guilty about what happened."

"But that's not the only reason you took me in," he said slowly, staring at her. Leilani felt like his one good eye was burning a hole right through her. Now it was her turn to be silent. "Why?" he asked.

Leilani struggled for an answer. She wasn't 100% sure why she had done it, herself.

"Why?" he demanded more harshly.

"I don't know why," she asked. "I felt guilty that you'd be put into some horrible institution, all because of me."

"Is there a reason you should care?" he asked gruffly.

"Because it was my fault," she reiterated, but paused, biting her lower lip again and staring into his face. "And, honestly... I... I'm a little curious. About you."

Auron felt an odd sensation in the pit of his stomach, as though his food was not sitting right. When he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper, though it carried with it great weight.

"Because I am not of this world," he suggested.

Leilani nodded.

"None of the healers at your hospital believed me," he said, still quiet. "Why should you?"

"Because they didn't see you appear out of thin air, surrounded by balls of light."

_Balls of light?_ Auron wondered, but only for a moment. _Pyreflies!_

"You saw them?" he asked suddenly, his tone harsher than he intended.

She nodded again, adding, "They were beautiful."

Auron stood up from the table and suddenly began pacing. Leilani watched him with concern. He stopped, putting a hand to his temple.

_If she could see them, that means they can appear in this world – if they can send me here, they can bring me back! If only I could find a way..._

He glanced back at Leilani and suddenly leaned over her, intimidating and intense.

"Take me back to where you first saw me."


	6. A sudden shift

They had been searching the area – a large, nearly empty field in the middle of nowhere – for over an hour now. Auron was glad it was night, as the pyreflies would be more visible.

_That is, if they had been here,_ he thought bitterly. He had tried to implement his magic and skills to see if the pyreflies could be activated, or would even show themselves, but found himself unable to do so. Apparently this world had weakened him – either that, or it lacked _something_ that made him capable of using his powers. He stole a quick glance back at Leilani, who had her arms about herself as she leaned against the car. He understood she was just trying to be hospitable, but he still found himself frustrated by her. He huffed and swung his sword at nothing, giving a trademark "hmph." The night was cooler than he would have liked, but after his efforts and frustrations he found himself perspiring. He peeled his coat back somewhat and his bare elbow grazed against something. He turned back to see Leilani standing there, shivering in her short sleeves and giving a sympathetic look.

"Auron..." she started, but he sighed and seemed to diminish slightly. She didn't need to say anything he had already figured out for himself – this was hopeless. He turned to walk back towards her vehicle without a word and he could hear her footsteps following back almost the entire way. When he heard her movement stop, he didn't really think about it until she suddenly let out a squeak. Turning around quickly, his heart raced as he saw a drooling, large-mouthed fiend gripping Leilani in its gigantic hands. She was squirming in panic, her feet flailing against the monster futilely as she gasped for air.

"Stop struggling," he said firmly, suddenly feeling in control for the first time since he had arrived in this strange world. Leilani complied and gave him a desperate, pleading look.

Although his magic and more powerful abilities no longer seemed to work, he still had his sheer strength, plainly evident as he took one harsh swipe at the fiend, breaking it into dozens of glowing, floating pyreflies. He tried in vain to grasp one, clutching the air wildly, but they slipped through his fingers and were gone as quickly as they had appeared. He panted, sweat dripping down his brow. He cried out suddenly, tossing his sword into the field with all of his strength, hearing it land with a dull metallic thud somewhere on the ground. He gave a loud, primal shout into the darkness before falling to his knees and shaking in frustration. It didn't occur to him at first to check on the girl, but her shifting alerted him once more to the problem at hand. Grateful to have something else to focus on, he stood and walked over to her, kneeling down and examining her. She seemed terrified, but otherwise all right.

"Is it gone?" she whispered.

He nodded solemnly. Leilani straightened herself and Auron instinctively placed his hand against her back to aid her. She stood up and looked about her, her gaze lingering upon the arm Auron had placed behind her. He removed it at once and she said nothing, but started walking back to her car, shivering once more and rubbing her bare arms. Taking pity on her, Auron removed his heavy red coat and threw it around her. She looked up in surprise, but smiled gratefully and grazed his muscular arm with her long fingers. He shivered involuntarily, but she didn't notice and he attributed it to the chill of the night. The drive home was wordless, but both of them could sense a sudden shift between them.


	7. Accomodating

It had been over a month since Auron had landed here, though the time had flown by as though it had only been a week. He had begun to trust her enough to tell her all about Spira – the land, history, people, fiends, magic, pyreflies, even summoners and summoning. She had taken it all in without offering an opinion, but he was relieved she did not call him crazy or look at him like he had taken leave of his senses. In turn, he had learned a lot about Leilani's world – she had told him much about it – but when she was at work, he learned more through watching TV or reading, with some effort, the books she kept lying around the house. It had taken him a few days to get used to the strange letters, but they were oddly (and luckily) so similar to Spira's that he had little difficulty in learning them. Leilani had bought him new clothes, and though they were strange, they were comfortable, and Auron was glad not to have to wash his robe every other day. Once he had become a bit more at ease with their situation, she started bringing him places, showing him new things. Zoos were a curious oddity, as were aquariums and museums, but Auron took it all in with a bit of wonder. Art was not something that was unknown in Spira, but it was reserved more for temples and architecture than for just hanging about the place. Leilani seemed to delight in these trips, and even Auron himself was forced to admit the adventures were growing on him... as was she. Her hospitality and genuine kindness were slowly starting to chip away at his hardened exterior, and he found himself enjoying her company more.

Her world was odd, but comfortable – everything seemed to be built around convenience, and machina were the backbone of this land, though Auron did not find it unsettling. Ten years in Zanarkand had made him acclimate well to being surrounded by machina and lights, and though he hated to admit it, they made him somewhat nostalgic. He wondered where Tidus was now. Was he in the Farplane with his father, and Braska, or had he ended up in a new world, too? What if he had landed in this one? Were they supposed to find each other? Auron shook his head to clear it. Such thoughts were useless, and served only to frustrate him. Luckily, he heard a car door slam outside, signaling Leilani's arrival home and a sudden distraction from his pointless train of thought. He folded the book he had been looking at back up and set it on the small table in front of him, standing politely as she entered the house.

"Hey," she said, grinning and kicking her shoes off to the side.

He nodded in greeting and smiled, but said nothing. She glanced at the book on the table. It was a family photo album that Auron was rather fond of prying off the shelf.

"You like that one, huh?"

Suddenly uncomfortable, he picked it up to put it back away, but it slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground, pictures splaying everywhere as the binding broke. Leilani gave a sad little yelp and immediately launched forward to pick up the photos, Auron bending over to help her, his face red. It only took them a few seconds to gather everything, but he could not help the feeling of guilt that bit into his stomach at seeing her look sadly at the broken album. He didn't like the sensation; it made him feel weak, and a little angry.

"You shouldn't cling so much to the past," he said, stacking the last of the photos on the pile in front of Leilani.

"Well, you still seem to enjoy looking at them," she shot, though her tone was mellow.

Auron blushed again and scowled deeply, though remained quiet. She silently set the book to rights again, wordlessly shifting things around and carefully aligning the binding back so that it would at least stay in place until she could buy a new album. She looked back to Auron when she was done, but was surprised to find a look of disdain on his features.

"Hey, listen, it's not that big a deal," she said, reaching forward to graze his hand sympathetically.

"That is not why," he muttered, the sensation of her fingers against the back of his hand sending a chill down his spine. He pulled away involuntarily.

"Why what?" she asked, confused. "Are you okay?"

He did not meet her eyes, but kept his trademark scowl up.

"Do you miss your family?" she asked quietly.

Auron shook his head.

"I have no family," he said, but that felt wrong, somehow. Yuna, Wakka, Kimahri, Rikku, Lulu... They were family, weren't they? His parents were both long-deceased, that was true, as well as Jecht and Braska, who were like brothers to him. Even Tidus had been almost like a son, but he knew he was gone now, too. Just like Auron felt he himself should be...

"I'm sorry," she said, meaning it.

"Don't be," he said gruffly, despising her sympathy.

Leilani sighed and stood up, placing her broken album back on the shelf with care. Auron straightened as well, but kept his back to her, staring at the floor.

"I do not belong here," he said, his voiced edged with sadness.

She laid a hand on his shoulder but he shrugged her off.

"I do not want your pity," he spat.

Leilani stubbornly replaced her hand on his shoulder and turned him around.

"It's not about pity," she said firmly. Her other hand grasped his and she wove her fingers between his own. Auron felt something akin to a rising tide swell within his stomach, but said nothing. Leilani squeezed his hand but let go quickly, bringing her arm back to wrap around his waist as she clutched him in an awkard hug. A little taken aback, Auron was unsure of what to do, placing his hands unsurely about her. She pressed her cheek into his chest and he caught a whiff of her hair – flowers and fruit – it reminded him of Spira with a pang. He felt almost dizzy for a moment as she held him, but she let go sooner than he liked (loathe as he was to admit it), and they stood in strange silence for a moment before she turned away and left the room, leaving Auron with his rather confused thoughts.


	8. Auron decides to depart

Things had been going along as they always had the past week, though Leilani noticed with dismay that Auron seemed to be talking less and less. She could only assume it was because she had hugged him – he hadn't seemed to want to return the favor, and she couldn't help but feel slighted and embarassed. They hadn't talked all day, and when she placed his dinner in front of him at the table, she noticed he was avoiding eye contact. They ate in silence for a few minutes until Auron decided to break it.

"I'm going to leave tomorrow," he said bluntly, taking a sip of water so as not to be tempted to look at her reaction.

Leilani froze immediately. "Why?" she asked unemotionally. "And how?"

"I'm going to go back to that field and retrieve my sword. I'm sure I can find my way back from there – if things can _arrive_ here from Spira, I'm sure there's a way back, as well."

"Well," she said with a sigh, "Safe journey."

Auron looked up to examine her face, startled she was being so cool about this, but she was returning her plate to the sink, her back to him. He stood and approached her from the side, though she would not raise her head to look him in the eye.

"My leaving does not bother you?" he asked, begrudgingly and shamefully admitting to himself that he had expected her to react more. Not that he _wanted_ her to be upset, necessarily, but her iciness was unexpected.

"Should it?" she asked, pausing, but still not meeting his gaze.

"I suppose not," he snapped, turning away.

"Auron," she called, facing him at last. He looked back and saw that her eyes were red, but she was not crying. "I can take you there," she said, meaning the field. "I'll help you look for your Spira."


	9. Auron's arrival

Leilani was shivering in the cool air again – it was late spring, but the temperatures stubbornly refused to rise above much more than 50 degrees at night. Auron had dressed back into his normal gear; she assumed he expected to be able to go home tonight. Though Leilani did not hold the same hope, she wouldn't dare think of trying to crush his dream, and instead agreed to help him look for his sword. Her flashlight only illuminated a small area ahead of her, but as there wasn't much in this field besides some scattered trees and shrubs, she assumed she would have no problem locating his weapon. She was wrong; the thing seemed to have vanished completely, and Auron seethed with the thought that at least _it_ might have found its way back into Spira. He huffed and backtracked again, scanning the tall grass and disturbing the crickets that had been singing there as he walked. He glanced over at Leilani, and she looked up with a sympathetic face that said, _nothing yet._ He flexed his hand within his glove, enjoying the creak of the leather, but feeling empty without his weapon, regretting letting his emotions get the better of him when he threw his sword in anger that night.

"Auron," Leilani called softly, approaching him through the grass and clicking her flashlight off. He remained silent as she walked over, glancing up at the unfamiliar stars and sighing.

"I know," he said when she reached him, before she could speak. He looked back down at her and was a little annoyed to find pity written on her features once more.

"You know what?" she asked.

"Don't play stupid," he said, rough but not cruel. "I know this is a hopeless search."

"We can come back in the morning..." she suggested, but he waved a hand dismissively and turned away from her. _So,_ he thought bluntly, _It might be forever, then._ For what it was worth, he could imagine worse fates, but knowing he was _so close_ set his insides on fire. He hadn't felt this frustrated and helpless in a long time.

"Auron," she called again.

"Leave me for a moment," he commanded.

"Auron!" she cried, more urgently this time.

He turned around at the alarmed tone of her voice, worried and yet disturbingly hopeful that another fiend had materialized. Barely 10 feet away from them, however, Auron's sword had magically reappeared, stuck in the ground and swarmed by pyreflies. She gave him a wide grin and leaped forward to grab it before something suddenly occurred to him.

"Leilani, NO!" he shouted, reaching for her, but it was too late – as soon as she had grabbed the hilt, a burst of pyreflies surrounded them both and his hand just brushed her arm before he felt himself falling, blinded by the brightness and white fog before being thrust into the dark.

He thought he was dying again until a sudden splash startled him awake and he struggled, flailing in the deep water, his heavy armor weighing him down. It was a few minutes before he slowly, agonizingly made his way to shore, collapsing on the sand in exhaustion and staring up at the ink-black sky, dotted with a million twinkling stars. Familiar stars..._ Spira's_ stars. He sat back upright, taking a glance around himself in alarm and pure elation as he realized where he was – Besaid island! He actually started laughing, loud and echoing over the sandy dunes of the empty beach. As he relaxed again, a grin still playing on his face, a sobering question occurred to him – _where was Leilani?_

Auron scanned the beach around him once more, but finding nothing, turned his attention to the water. Although it was incredibly dark out and almost impossible to see, he could make out no shapes floating or thrashing in the water – even – even his _sword_ was gone again. He struggled with the idea, suddenly worried about where Leilani and his weapon could possibly have gone. She had grabbed it first and yet he had still ended up in Spira – surely she would have as well? He began searching frantically around him again, looking for footprints besides his own in the wet sand, but it was no use – the tide would already have washed them away. Turning back to the forest, he suddenly saw a brightly lit ball of flame making its way through the woods. Concerned it was a fiend and feeling naked without a weapon, Auron crouched behind a nearby rock and kept watch.

"...I heard something, I know I did," came a young male's voice. Auron peeped out carefully, but could not make out any faces, just the figures of three people combing the beach for signs of anything unusual. The boy suddenly shouted and ran forward, pointing towards a spot of wet sand not far from where Auron was hiding behind the large rock. "Here, sir! Footprints!"

"Ah, those could be anyone's," said a woman.

"No duh, birdbrain, but they're fresh!" snapped the boy.

"Stop it, you two," a _very_ familiar voice said. His accent was thick and exotic. "At least it's not a fiend's, ya? So, put those away before you hurt yourselves."

Auron heard the two fiddle with their weapons and chanced a look around the side of the rock. They were walking further down the shore, scoping the woods around them, while the group leader stood watch, his arms folded authoritatively. Auron smiled to himself as he recognized instantly the familiar coiff of orange hair tied up with a blue bandana.

"Wakka," he said quietly, standing up from his hiding place.

Wakka turned around immediately and screamed in alarm, alerting his two companions, who came rushing over, attempting to draw their weapons. Recognition set in after the initial alarm and he turned around with his hands out to halt the pair.

"Stop!" he cried, and they complied, glancing with curiosity at the shadow lurking behind their leader. "This is the legendary Sir Auron!" he said, turning back around and re-igniting his blitzball to illuminate the beach around them. Auron gave a nod of the head and stepped out, holding out a hand to Wakka, who instead wrapped his free arm around his hero's shoulder in a respectful gesture.

"Go back to the village," Wakka told his companions, pointing. "Don't tell her what happened just yet, but get Yuna. And hurry."

"Yes, sir!" they said, running back towards the woods quickly. They watched them disappear behind the trees before speaking again.

"How is Yuna?" Auron asked quietly.

"She's fine," Wakka said, then slumped forward a little. "Well, pressures and all that, you know, 'Bringer of the Eternal Calm' means she has a lot of fans," he chuckled.

"Hm, I can't imagine," Auron said with slight humor in his voice.

Wakka turned back to him with a smile, but said nothing.

"Why are we waiting here?" he asked, suddenly a little concerned. He was anxious to see the rest of his friends again.

"For Yuna," was the only explanation he gave.

The stood in relative silence for a few moments before the young duo returned, a beautiful young lady with short, choppy hair and an impossibly long braid following close behind. It took Auron another moment before he realized it was Yuna – she looked so _different._ He gave a soft "hmph." _All grown up, I suppose,_ he thought.

"Wakka, what's wrong?" she asked, slightly out of breath.

He stepped aside and used his blitzball to illuminate the scarred face of their friend.

"Sir Auron!" she cried, launching herself at him immediately and throwing her arms about his neck. "First Tidus, and now you!" He could feel a few tears dampening the front of his his heavy red robe and waited uncomfortably for her weeping to subside. "I'm so happy!" she cried, but Auron's mind was elsewhere.

"Did you say Tidus returned, as well?"

"Yes! A few months ago, on this same beach!"

"Huh," was all he could say, deep in thought.

"Please, you have to see him! Come back to the village with us!"

"Yuna," Wakka suddenly interjected urgently, placing a hand on her arm. Yuna took his meaning, and so did Auron – they had to make sure he was not an unsent, or a beckoning.

"I'm sorry, Sir Auron," she said, turning around to him sadly and retrieving her staff from her belt. Auron stood, chin held high, expecting perhaps that he _would_ be sent.

_Would I end up back in Leilani's world again?_ he wondered, but not for long. Yuna's sending was not working.

"Have you been beckoned here?" she asked, startled and a little unnerved. "Like a memory from the Farplane?"

"Not that I am aware of," said Auron, and gave them a very brief recollection of his experiences of the past 5 weeks.

"So where is this girl?" asked Wakka. "She here?"

"No," Auron answered, suddenly clamming up.

"Do you... know what happened to her?" Yuna asked.

"No. I assume she's back where she belongs," Auron replied stoically, though did not believe that himself.

"Wanna make sure?" she asked, a hint of mischief in her voice. He raised an eyebrow but she smiled and explained.

"Uncle Cid's ship can find her," she said with a grin. "That is, if she's here."

Talking about Leilani right now made him uncomfortable, but he nodded to try to end the conversation. Wakka either sensed his unease or he was mercifully uninterested in the girl, as he became suddenly excited and exclaimed, "Come back to the village now, ya? We've got a surprise for you!"

Auron gave a small laugh and followed.


	10. In the village

When they arrived in Besaid village, Auron noticed with some amusement that it had hardly changed a bit. A few more tents and some machina had sprung up, but overall, it looked the same as it had when he, Braska and Jecht had visited on their pilgrimage. Even the bonfire in the center of the village was burning as merrily as always. Wakka made a quieting gesture and motioned for Auron to enter a particular hut, leading him behind the rest and keeping a wary eye on the other villagers. He slipped inside quickly, grateful that it was dark and no one was paying much attention to anything beyond the towering fire. Yuna paused for a moment, placing a hand over her mouth.

"I'll be right back," she said in a low tone, scooting out quickly. Auron stood in the hut with Wakka quietly for several minutes as they waited, taking in everything around him.

"I'm the village leader now, ya?" Wakka whispered, evidently tired of the silence, jutting his chest out proudly and tilting his chin up with a smile.

"Why are you whispering?" Auron asked, but he needn't have bothered.

"What are you doing back so late?" came Lulu's voice from behind him. He heard an audible gasp. "Sir Auron?"

He turned around to face his friend, who was coming out from behind a curtain that connected to the next room, and was surprised to see a small bundle in her arms – a bundle with a shock of red hair that curled upwards from his forehead. Auron guessed very easily who the father was.

"Sorry, Lu," Wakka apologized, rubbing the back of his head, "But as you can see, it was kind of important..."

Lulu nodded and approached the guardian warily, as though he was not really there.

"Are you an unsent?" she asked bluntly. Auron had always admired her for her directness.

"No," he said. "Yuna tried that already." He registered the look of shock on her face and gave a weary smile. "Don't worry, I'm as surprised as you are."

"Sir Auron?" Yuna said quietly, sneaking back into the tent. "Oh! Lulu! I'm sorry if we woke you..."

"Enough already," a very familiar, somewhat whiny voice said on the outside of the tent. "Lemme at him!"

Tidus burst into the tent and immediately eyed up his former caretaker and comrade.

"You," he said, his tone tense.

"Me," Auron replied simply.

Tidus walked over and grabbed Auron's hand with his own, bringing their joined arms up between them and leaning forward in a sort of close handshake. When they released, Tidus crossed his arms and leaned back to take him in.

"I figured you'd come back," he said. "Yuna just told me everything."

"Hmph," was all Auron had to say.

"But... my old man... did you see...?"

"No," he replied tersely, making a cutting gesture across the air with his hand. "It was only me there, as far as I know."

"I figured," Tidus said sadly, but perked up quickly. "We gotta tell Rikku! And Kimahri!"

"Kimahri is the elder of the Ronso tribe now," Lulu explained. "I doubt he would be able to make it here any time soon."

"Yeah," Tidus said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as though she were foolish, "But if we tell Rikku first, she and her dad can take us in the airship to go see him!"

"I already sent a message!" Yuna chimed in.

"Really? Well that was fast."

Yuna nodded, but smiled as she beheld the returned guardian. "She should be here tomorrow. I didn't tell her about you yet, we'll let that be a little surprise for her."

Auron nodded.

"Speaking of surprises," Wakka interjected, "I promised you one!" He gestured to the baby Lulu was carrying proudly. "His name is Vidina."

"Vidina," Auron parroted, mulling something over in his mind.

Wakka thought perhaps he was wondering about the meaning of his son's name and offered an explanation. "It's Al-Bhed for 'future,'" he said. "Kinda seemed appropriate."

"I like the name," he said. "But... how old is he?"

"A few months now, ya? Still keeps us up most nights..."

"A few months?" Auron asked in surprise. Just how long had he been gone?

As though she had read his mind, Yuna spoke up. "It's been about two years, since... since we defeated Sin."

_Two years._

Auron's head reeled at the thought. It had felt like less than two_ months._

"I'd like to rest," he said, pausing only to say goodnight as he retreated from the hut and made his way through the shadows back to a Rin's travel agency that he saw on his way to the village. _Who knows when that sprung up?_ he wondered.

_Spira's changed more than I thought._


	11. Let's find her

_'Leilani!' he cried, trying once again in vain to grasp her arm as they fell. She turned around and he saw she was smothered in pyreflies before she vanished entirely. He yelled and reached out for her again but the flowers of the Farplane reached up to him like clawing hands and dragged him down, down, down..._

Auron awoke with a start, a sheen of cold sweat covering his body as he panted.

_Just a nightmare,_ he thought, trying to push it away despite his still-pounding heart.

He bathed slowly, letting the cool water rush over him, trying to rid himself of his worried thoughts. When he exited the shower, he was surprised to hear the sounds of a raucous crowd outside. He sighed loudly, dressing and exiting his room at Rin's, preparing for a wave of onlookers and desperate fans.

_I don't deserve their praise,_ he thought. _I'm just an old man who wrote a lousy story._

He prepared himself internally for the onslaught that was about to happen, but a familiar Al-Bhed man stopped him with a gentle arm.

"Sir Auron," said Rin. "It is an honor once again."

"Thanks."

"Do you wish for me to try to disperse the crowd?"

Auron thought for a moment, considering his options. Never one for the limelight, he was tempted to ask Rin to make them leave, but decided that was a cowardly option. And no doubt dangerous for Rin – while it seemed that Spira was indeed changing, Auron was certain that grudges against the Al-Bhed still remained, and he was hesitant to be the cause of a possible riot.

"No," he said, resigned, glancing out the curtains of the doorway and mentally preparing himself.

All of a sudden, however, the loud noise of twin engines and an impressively large machina airship cut through the island, the crowd alleviating somewhat as a handful of villagers went to see their newer guests. Auron was grateful that at least some of the people had decided there was something more interesting than he and had left. Before he could exit Rin's and face the remaining crowd, however, Yuna mercifully walked through and approached the travel agency, distracting the rest of the villagers. She entered and was startled to find her former guardian already prepared to leave.

"You're ready?" she asked.

"As I'll ever be," he muttered.

"Good. Rikku, Cid, and Brother are here – thought I'd tell you just in case you couldn't hear them," she giggled softly.

Following her out of Rin's, they headed out towards the beach and the new airship Cid had built. Auron felt uncomfortable as various people clutched at them and shouted questions or offered old prayers, but Yuna kindly grazed their hands or bowed graciously, allowing him an outlet to continue unhindered. By the time they had finally reached the airship, Rikku was already on the sand, animatedly teasing Wakka and laughing. She had grown up too, Auron noticed, and smiled in spite of himself when she suddenly saw him, raced up, and threw her arms about his neck, straining to reach even his shoulders.

"I've missed you, ya big meanie!" she cried, releasing him at last and bouncing on her heels. "Ready to go?"

"Go where?" Auron asked. He recalled them mentioning a trip to see Kimahri, but his mind wandered to Leilani and he remembered Yuna's offer from yesterday.

"_I assume she's back where she belongs,"_ he had said.

"_Wanna make sure?" _Yuna had asked."_Uncle Cid's ship can find her... That is, if she's here."_

_If she's here,_ Auron mulled. He heaved a heavy sigh. Yuna noticed immediately and gave a knowing smile.

"Before we see Kimahri," she said, "There's someone else we need to meet."

"Who, Yunie?" asked Rikku, preparing to board.

"We haven't got all day, you know!" yelled Cid from above, and they all climbed in, Yuna leading Auron to the glowing sphere in the center of the new ship as they took off into the sky.

"I see that's been salvaged," he said, pointing to the device they had once used to find Yuna when she had been taken by Seymour.

"I see you're still alive somehow," Cid snapped back.

"Hmph."

"Well, what do you need, kiddos?" he said, but his eyes followed theirs to the mysterious console. "Oh," he grinned knowingly. "Well, help yourselves. All we need is a memory."

"A memory?" Auron was suspicious, and hesitated. Who was he kidding – Leilani, in Spira? His mind could not wrap around it. Still, he stepped forward wordlessly, already thinking of the girl who had taken him in when he was alone in her world. Everyone was looking at him expectantly. Lulu and Wakka were sitting together, exchanging glances, their son at home being taken care of by a former Besaid Aurochs teammate, while Tidus and Yuna stood smiling, their hands comfortably intertwined. Rikku leaned into the console, examining it thoughtfully.

"Well, it can't hurt to try, can it?" she said softly, eagerly.

Tidus chimed in, too. "Come on, old man, one more adventure won't kill… ah, I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"

"What do I have to do?" Auron sighed.

"Well, you just stick your hands in here, and think of whoever you want to find," said Rikku, upbeat.

Auron removed the glove from his right hand, placed it inside of his robes and slowly, cautiously reached forward as if to grab the sphere. His fingers sank into it. Suddenly, a shock went through him and he felt as though he was standing inside of his own mind, a hallway of memories playing before him.

_She was standing at the window overlooking her back yard, unaware he was watching her as she drank from a cup of tea and watched the sunrise._

_It was raining outside and she entered the house sopping wet, her hair clinging to her cheeks in flat spirals._

_Leilani was reading a book with him, teaching him the letters of her world and gazing up every now and then to catch his reaction to the story._

_She was singing something softly, but she heard Auron approaching and stopped immediately, greeting him nonetheless with a genuine smile._

_Her fingers were laced into his own as she breathed softly into his chest, her other arm wrapped around his waist. Auron could still smell the sweet perfume of her hair._

There was a soft mechanical noise and a musical hum and Auron stepped back as an image of Leilani appeared before them, her curled brown hair illuminated by the moon as they sat by the pond one night.

"She's beautiful," Yuna whispered in his ear.

Auron did not react beyond continuing to watch her image as it faded, a new one with her coordinates reappearing slowly.

"We GOT her!" yelled Cid.

Auron's heart beat quickly. _She's here after all?_ He watched the glowing orb incredulously, suddenly full of hope again... and worry.

Cid gave the coordinates to the pilot and they all stumbled as the airship pitched forward.

"How is this possible?" asked Auron.

"Don't know!" he said. "Kinda fun though, isn't it?"

They all held on tight as they gathered speed and zoomed towards where the console had said Leilani would be. Auron felt a sick mix of anticipation and fear, his stomach roiling with a discomfort that had nothing to do with the lurch of airship. He looked into the sphere again, but his heart fell as he stared at it in horror. Everyone's eyes followed his gaze. Floating inside of it was a shot of Leilani and her location. She was curled up between large piles of towering debris, one arm out to the side and clutching something unseen, the other over her face, covered in dried blood. She was unconscious. Auron's stomach turned and he thought he was going to be sick.

"Hurry," snarled Cid, and the airship lunged forward again.


	12. Baaj Temple

They were hovering above the very large, decrepit ruins of Baaj temple, inspecting the freezing water with trepidation.

"I'll go with you," said Tidus. "I've been there before, remember?"

"Me too!" chimed Rikku.

Auron sighed in resignation, but couldn't refuse the help he knew he needed.

"Fine," he said, removing his signature red cloak and setting it aside as Cid lowered the trio down to the water's edge.

"Can't get you too close to the temple itself," he said, "Go grab your friend and meet me back on the pier on the other side."

The three of them nodded and dropped down into the frigid sea surrounding the temple. It was colder than Auron had anticipated, and the bulk of his armor weighed him down as he struggled and thrashed to stay afloat, gulping water. He felt hands hoist him up and he got his head above water, nodding his thanks begrudgingly. Tidus and Rikku led the way to the inner depths of the temple, making sure to dispose of any fiends waiting for them quickly. In a few moments they had reached the inside, dragging themselves out of the water and shivering, their breath coming out in icy white clouds.

"I'll check upstairs," Tidus said, his teeth chattering.

"Good plan. I'll check the next room," said Rikku, leaving Auron with the main temple hall. He walked through, checking the area thoroughly, ice forming in his hair and his bootsteps echoing in the emptiness.

"Nothing up here," Tidus yelled down, startling Auron.

He merely nodded back, continuing his search, his heart beating faster and faster with every second he couldn't find her. Suddenly, he saw it – something familiar glinting against the cold blue marble of the temple floor. _His sword._ He bolted over quickly, kneeling down and reaching to pull it out from underneath a cave-like pile of rubble against the furthest wall, freezing when he saw a limp hand attached to the hilt. He lunged forward, grabbing and pulling free the unconscious form of Leilani from the hollow in the debris. Auron pulled her cold body up against his own, pressing his fingertips against her wrist and trying in vain to feel her heartbeat. His own pulse was pounding so furiously it was impossible to try and find hers; he laid his head against her chest and listened, holding his breath. He nearly shouted in relief when he heard the rhythmic beat of her heart, alerting the others and attaching his sword to his belt as he collected her and stood. Rikku led the way back out onto the pier, where she called her father and they boarded the airship. Immediately, Auron lowered himself to his knees on the floor, wrapping Leilani in his red coat, grateful he had remembered to remove it before jumping into the water. They were halway back to Besaid before Auron felt her stir in his arms. He looked down at her and she managed a weak smile.

"I knew you would come," she said quietly.

He smiled, but said nothing.

"Did you get your sword?" she asked. He nodded. "It kept me safe," she continued. "And I thought if I had it, maybe you would find me..."

"You should sleep," he said, wrapping her more tightly.

Leilani nodded slowly, drifting back away peacefully without argument. Relieved, Auron looked back up to see his friends watching the pair carefully. He did not enjoy the feeling, and kept quiet the entire ride back to Besaid.


	13. Morning

When Leilani awoke, her mouth was dry and her head was pounding, but she was warm and laying in a large, comfortable bed. It was still dark and she couldn't see anything, save for a small sliver of soft light between the drawn curtains of wherever she was. Rising carefully with a low, pained groan, she crossed the room and slid the drapes back, noticing the sun rising through the trees. She jumped when she heard a low grumble and a deep breath, turning in alarm towards the sound and discovering, to her surprise, Auron sleeping in a chair that faced her bed. Leilani closed the curtains again, not wanting to wake him, and crossed towards where she had seen a bathroom. She raised her eyes and mouthed, "Oh, thank you," when she discovered that the place did, indeed, have indoor plumbing. She decided to make use of the hot shower, massaging her angry temples and scrubbing away the dried blood on her arms.

Auron nodded awake slowly, somehow realizing through the fog of his own sleep that he could no longer hear Leilani's breathing. The sound of the shower assured him that she was fine, however, and he took the time to open the curtains and prep the fresh clothes he had bought from Rin's for her, then waited in the chair, sentinel-like, for her to emerge from the bathroom. When she did, Auron rose to meet her, unsure of what to say. Leilani jumped forward and he thought for a frightening moment that she was going to fall, but she threw herself into him with a laugh, wrapping her arms about his waist and squeezing him as hard as she could – which wasn't saying much, as she was still somewhat tired and weak. Auron stood stoically, uncomfortable with the affection but not exactly unwilling.

"I missed you," she whispered.

Auron's heart gave a little jolt at her words.

"It was only for a day," he muttered, pulling away from her embrace and gesturing towards the bed. "I've bought you fresh clothes. We'll get breakfast in the village when you are ready."

"Thanks, Auron," she said, a little in shock as he brushed past her and exited the room.

She wondered if he was angry with her for some reason, but chalked it up to both of them being exhausted, especially since he had spent the entire night in a chair, watching over her. She decided she would make up for his effort, somehow.


	14. Beach breakfast

Leilani exited Rin's quietly, spotting Auron immediately in his flamboyant red coat and tense stance. He was facing the sunrise, the gray spikes at his temples and widow's peak blowing slightly in the light breeze. She crept up behind him and tapped him gently on the shoulder. He turned and Leilani could swear she saw a little smile form at the corners of his mouth as she spun in place to show off the new clothes he had bought her. While not very similar to her regular clothes, they were still beautiful and, most importantly, comfortable. Her pale blue top hugged slightly at the hips, had short billowy sleeves that revealed most of her arms, and a neckline that came down to a slight v directly above the cleft of her breasts. The skirt he had bought for her was a shifting shade of blue-black that hung to her knees and flowed softly around her like silk. The shoes were plain black and flat, laceless and elegant, but functional.

"They're beautiful, Auron," she said, stopping in front of him. "Thank you."

He nodded and gestured for her to follow him down the hill as he started toward the village. At first she was a little insulted that he made her walk behind him, but he clarified that it was so he could watch for fiends ahead of her. She walked by his side anyway and saw him raise his eyebrows in curiosity, though he kept silent as usual. When they reached the stalls, Auron headed directly for a shabby little one on the corner that was stocked with some kind of soft, round fruit. He reached into his pocket and was glad to find he still had plenty of gil, paying the merchant and bringing back two of the large purple fruits. He led them to the beach behind the huts, stalls, and trees for some privacy as they ate their breakfast. Leilani took a fruit doubtfully and sniffed it, though she noticed Auron had already taken several huge bites of his.

_Well, it's good to try anything once,_ she thought, biting into it and finding to her delight that it was exquisite. It was soft and granular like a pear, but the taste made her think of an incredibly sweet plum. They scarfed the fruit in silence and afterwards just sat there relaxing, watching the waves.

"They're my favorite," Auron said suddenly. "Manju fruits."

"I can see why," she replied, struggling a little for conversation. She scooted a little closer to him on the sand, but he did not move away. "I never thanked you properly," she said softly.

"For what?"

"Saving me," she answered.

"Hmph."

She raised her eyebrows and Auron forced a response.

"We're even now."

Leilani smiled warmly and returned her gaze to the sea; the waves were gentle, and as she was still exhausted from her ordeal, she found herself being quickly lulled to sleep.

"So what now?" she asked, stifling a yawn and struggling to keep her eyes open.

"I'm not sure," he grumbled, but began thinking it over. He had been so desperate to find her and now that he had, it was as though his path had vanished before his eyes. He suddenly felt as empty and purposeless as he had when he was in her world; there was nothing for him to do, and the uncertainty made him anxious.

"Do you think there's a way for me to get home?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know," he admitted.

Leilani processed his thought without comment, barely reacting beyond a slight raise of her eyebrows and a deep breath. She readjusted herself on the sand and suddenly winced in pain. Auron looked over with concern, but the sound of a group of familiar voices distracted him. Yuna, Tidus, and Rikku were all walking down the beach towards them. Rikku, being more used to running and walking in the sand, reached them first and immediately wrapped her arms around Leilani, who hugged her back somewhat awkwardly. Introductions were made, Tidus mentioned something about Wakka, and Yuna immediately began examining Leilani with interest, a delicate smile curving across her features.

"That was really very sweet of you to help Sir Auron," she said. "When he was stuck in your world."

"Thanks," Leilani responded. "Nothing he wouldn't do for me, apparently," she laughed. "He even kept watch over me all night from a chair in the room."

Everyone became silent for a moment and Auron stiffened.

"You said Wakka had something to tell us?" he asked Tidus, shifting the conversation.

"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, "Let's go!"


	15. A weapon for Leilani

Auron noticed with idle curiosity that the huts on Besaid had started growing larger since the last time he had visited over two years before. Being in Wakka and Lulu's home, with multiple rooms and an ample amount of floor space in the main area, he wondered whether it was just a sign of changing times or if people simply felt safer and more willing to spread now that Sin was gone. They were sitting on soft floor cushions in a circle around a squat round table, drinking tea from a small, ornately decorated set Lulu had brought out. She was rocking her sleeping son in her arms while Wakka glanced over occasionally to smile at his family. Yuna and Tidus were cozied up together on the side across from Auron, Leilani, and Rikku, not saying much, but not really needing to. Auron simply hid behind his dark glasses and the small mug of tea at his lips. Leilani and Rikku were chatting about her new clothes when she revealed who had purchased them for her.

"Really?" asked Rikku incredulously, her eyebrows raising slightly towards the golden mop of braids on top of her head. Her gaze swept over the ensemble, pausing slightly at the somewhat low neckline and smirking deviously. Leilani seemed not to notice, but Auron had and scowled more deeply than usual. He hadn't given much thought to the top when he had bought it, and he didn't appreciate Rikku's implication. He gave a small "hmph" as he drained the last of the tea in his cup, drinking it just to have something to do at this point.

"Can I get you more, Sir Auron?" Lulu asked, but he shook his head.

"Why did you bring us here?" he countered, to the point as usual.

Yuna gave a significant look at the others before speaking.

"We think we know how to get Leilani home," she said.

Leilani perked up and looked across the table at her in excitement.

"How?" she asked animatedly.

"Lady Amira," Yuna said. A sudden chill went down Auron's spine and he scowled deeply, but nobody seemed to notice.

"This woman would know how to get me home?"

"Maybe..." Wakka said sheepishly.

"Maybe?" Auron parroted rudely.

"We'd have to _ask_ Lady Amira, you know?"

Leilani didn't seem to follow and threw a questioning glance at Wakka, who rubbed the back of his neck nervously before answering.

"Ya... I mean... well, we figured, when you guys and Tidus came to Spira, it was either in Baaj Temple or right here on the shore, you know? But those are only places where people have appeared, so we'd just have to take you to the place where people _dis_appear most."

"Which is where?" she asked.

"That's where Lady Amira comes in," Yuna offered. "Her father was a powerful priest years ago, and she was training to become a summoner, but something stopped her and she gave up before even starting her pilgrimage. Now, she's got her hands into the new factions and governments. She's more powerful now than her father ever was. She knows everything the factions know. So if people were disappearing, she could tell us where."

"Hmph. I doubt she would want to say anything to us," Auron sneered.

"Why not?" asked Leilani.

"She wouldn't tell people like us about disappearances."

"Like us?"

"Not factioned," said Wakka.

"Not important is more like it," sneered Auron. But there was something in his voice that made Leilani suspicious.

"Why don't we try anyway?" she asked slowly.

Wakka nodded.

"Rikku called the airship again. It'll be here in a day or two after delivering supplies to the new Al-Bhed Home, so we can go to Bevelle when Cid returns."

"I don't know why Pops doesn't just give Home up," Rikku groaned. "It's not like we're as separated anymore."

The group seemed excited, but Auron only made his usual "hmph" noise again. Leilani gave him a questioning glance but he shook his head very slightly and ignored her until they left later on, when the sun was already at its half-way point through the sky. She was forced to shield her eyes from the brightness as they exited, suddenly a little jealous of Auron's sunglasses.

"How can I earn some money around here?" she asked him politely.

"Fiend-hunting, mostly, although most merchants are also willing to buy and trade some of the junk one comes across here and there. Why?"

"I think I'm gonna need a pair of those, too," she laughed, gesturing to his shades.

He made a small laugh in the back of his throat and Leilani raised an eyebrow.

"You'd be better served buying a weapon for yourself," he said. He suddenly stopped. "Actually," he said, "That wouldn't be a bad idea, if we're to travel."

"Won't we just be on the airship? There won't be any fiends on there, right?"

"Probably not. But..." He paused, sighing, something seeming to weigh heavy on his mind.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"This Lady Amira is not to be trusted," he said quietly, looking at the ground ahead of him.

"Do you know her?" Leilani asked.

"She's a politician. I wouldn't trust any of them, if I were you."

"Well," she breathed, "I trust _you._ That's all that matters. And if you're warning me, then I take it seriously."

Auron gave her a small look of appreciation before leading her to an enclosed tent. When they entered, she saw massive amounts of swords, spears, rods, and the like on display, some propped against boxes, others on their own stands on the counter, and some hanging from the ceiling, tips pointed up towards the sky. A man was standing behind the counter, his back to them, bending over and sifting through a box.

"We need a weapon," Auron said, straight to the point as always.

"Looks like you found some," he sneered. He was old and chubby, his thin red and grey hair mussed and his face set in a frown.

"Obviously," he shot back. "But we'll need assistance."

"Okay," he sighed. "Who's it for?"

"For me," Leilani finally chimed in.

At this the man raised his eyebrows and stepped from around the counter, holding his right hand out. Leilani went to shake it, but the man stooped a little and kissed it instead. She blushed, embarrassed, and Auron made a small, loaded step forward.

"Fine, fine," the guy mumbled, giving Auron a sideways glance as he disposed of the niceties. "What are you in the market for?"

Leilani raised her eyebrows and looked to Auron.

"Defense," he said.

"Psht," the man said. "You look like the kind of girl who likes a good fight, am I right?"

Leilani shrugged, smiling.

"Here, try this."

He showed her a sword, and Leilani picked it up. It was heavy, but she could handle it without much problem. She did not like the feel of it, however. She handed it back.

"Maybe this one," he said, giving her a much thinner blade that Auron seemed fond of, but it was too long for her to wield correctly. He kept showing her a different array of swords, spears, and even a few blitzballs, but none of them felt quite right. After a little while, frustrated but still in good spirits, the man went behind the counter.

"Something special, then. Just got this imported here, ya? Brand new kind of weapon."

He handed her a very thin, long spear, the only point of which came down and separated into a number of sharp ends at the bottom. It looked like it was divided at a several different points along the shaft, yet there was no space in between them. She examined it very closely, running her fingers along a tiny metal button on the handle.

"This is just another spear," sighed Auron impatiently.

"Looks that way, don't it?" said the man with a sly smile. "Go ahead and press that button, honey."

Leilani did as she was told, and the spear immediately collapsed in her hands. She yelped and dropped it, but felt very silly when she saw what had happened. When she lifted it up into her hands again, she found it had not broken, but instead had transformed into a barbed whip.

"Try it out," the man whispered, gesturing to the exit at the rear of the tent.

Leilani stepped outside with a frightened look at Auron, carrying the spear / whip along with her. The three of them stood in front of a tree behind the store, growing upon which were small red fruits about the size of doorknobs.

"Go on," the man encouraged.

Leilani twirled it slowly at first, keeping a firm grip, but soon picked up quickly and spun it around in a dizzying whirl so fast it made a howling noise. She smiled and looked at the man, who nodded.

"Now," he said, pointing, "Get me one of them fruits."

Unsure, but still determined, Leilani spun the whip a little more before launching it towards the tree. She heard a loud _thwok_ as the tip of the weapon pierced through the fruit, juice spraying the branches. She yanked back and caught it in her hand, the metal point still inside. She gazed at it in amazement for a few seconds before mouthing, "Wow."

The man grinned.

"5,000 Gil, please."


End file.
